I'd officially been an Arkansas resident for nearly three weeks, but hadn't yet been out and about for a barbecue sampling. Despite the mountain of boxes still cluttering our new house, I hopped down the street to nearby Sims Bar-B-Q to grab some lunch for us.
Sims is a small old joint in a small old shopping center, competing for olfactory dominance with the donut shop next door. It's a simple table and chair setup with little to decorate the place except for some beer signs and a few out-of-place fishing tournament trophies. There was also a jukebox in the corner that didn't look like it gets much action. I've eaten great barbecue from places with far less ambiance, which I hoped meant that their focus was simply on the food instead of the atmosphere.
My inlaws came over to help watch the baby while we unpacked and organized things, so I made sure to order up a nice size feast for us. A pound of pork and a pound of brisket in the meat department, with sides of potato salad, bbq beans, and coleslaw. The waitress ended up giving it to us as one of their large combo specials, which was certainly easier on the wallet.
The mustard-based potato salad came with lots of pickles and other veggies for both flavor and crunch. Maybe a a little pepper would have jazzed things up a bit though. The slaw was creamy and crisp, with fresh vegetables all the way through. I'm not normally a slaw fan, but I really did enjoy it. Sims' beans were sweet and ketchup-y, and they were also a little on the mushy side. Overall, the flavor was good.
Our serving of pork came finely chopped with a fair amount of bark in the mix. It was moderately smoky and seasoned just right. Each bite was tender and very juicy. In its chopped form, the pork was probably more conducive to sammiches, although it was also the perfect size for my nine-month-old who is still practicing with finger food.
The brisket was very thinly sliced, but there was still plenty of yummy bark to go around here as well. The smoke ring was also immediately evident. It was exceptionally good, which I must admit surprised me somewhat. I found a prominent smokiness, and the brisket was as tender as could be, likely helped by the thin slicing. The fat could have been a rendered a little better, but I still ate it with gusto.
At only a five minute drive from my house, I can see Sims becoming a regular part of my barbecue rotation.
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Sims Bar-B-Q
1307 John Barrow Rd
Little Rock, AR 72205
(501) 224-2057
http://simsbbqar.com/
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